Recently moved to new pastoral appointment. Finally unboxed my reloading gear. Want to resume loading for .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .45 ACP. Have Unique, Red Dot, Green Dot and Herco on hand in useful quantities. Also found some AA No. 5 and No. 9, one lb. of each. What has me puzzled is a canister of Winchester 452AA that I found. This came from my identical-twin brother (deceased) in about 2003.

From powder burn charts, it appears that the 452AA can be used with .38 Special and .45 ACP, maybe also .44 Special. However I am at a loss as to where to look to find published data on this powder. I know it was discontinued by Winchester around the early 1990's, maybe 1992.

Does anyone have published data on this powder? One of the little leaflet type booklets that Winchester used to make available or a recognized reloading manual would be ideal. If not, perhaps someone has a loading recipe that they used with success? I have about 3-4 lbs. of this 452AA on hand. If data can be found, it would allow me to load for my favorite handgun calibers and save my Unique, Red/Green Dot and Herco for cast bullet loads in my rifles. Appreciate any information. Sincerely. brucev.

452AA was once a popular powder for .45 ACP. I have data, but it's from the older SPEER #11 from the mid 1980s. There is data for selected bullet weights in .38 Sp., .357 Magnum and the .45 ACP. They even loaded it in .44 Magnum but not .44 Sp. for some reason. In .38 Sp. they used it with their 148 gr. Hollow base WC, 158 gr. Swaged lead bullets, 110 gr. JHP, and it appears 125 gr. JHP & SP bullets where they list 453AA that I believe is a misprint, or I don't remember a 453AA. In .357 Magnum they used it with the same 148 gr. Wadcutter, 158 gr. swaged lead bullets, 110 gr. JHP, 125 gr. SP & JHPs. In .45 ACP with their 185 gr. TMJ Match, 200 gr. TMJ Combat, 200 gr. JHP (Flying ashtray), 230 gr. TMJ and the 260 gr. JHP.

If you are using any of these bullet weights or cast bullets of the same weight sa SPEER's swaged data, shoot me a PM and I'll give you the specific charges. You might also be able to buy an older manual dated from before 452AA was discontinued.

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